DAYS 37 - 42
Brian alone in Greece
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DAY 36 - Wednesday 16 May (continued)
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Sara goes home for a week to a party - Brian guards R10FFN and generally chills out.
Brian drove Sara to Preveza airport and the plan is for him to generally wait like a faithful servant for the eventual return of the Memsahib. Once the team have reformed (some 6-7 days later) the intrepid duo will set off north into the unexplored wilds of Albania, heading for Montenegro and Croatia.
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The run to the airport is about an hour and a bit, nice sunny drive with the top down. Sara duly dropped off, tearful farewells, much hugging, me holding her back, no really, I did. However she was determined to fly the coop, return to Blighty, so I let her go, reluctantly........... Then I had to face the the drive back all alone.
It is astounding how much faster a BMW convertible goes with only one person. It is literally a different car. Who would think that the weight of one passenger would make that much difference. Shaved easily 15-20 minutes off the journey. It is SO much faster into the long sweeping bends. It literally screams round the hairpin bends in the mountains, the brakes are fierce! The exhaust sounds are great under real acceleration. Of course I was aware that should I stuff it I would be in deep shit - but hey! I'm on holiday!!
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Anyway, home safe about 40 minutes later.
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Admin day, wash smalls, turn lovely cottage into Brit version of wash house with stuff hanging all round and basically cheapening the whole place no end. Then on to taking selfies. One does that when one is alone with an iphone and an Apple watch. I stick the phone somewhere, what it sees I see on my watch screen, I pose, I press my watch, it waits 3 seconds, then 'flash, bang, wallop' what a picture, what a photograph!!! (credit to Tommy Steel and to those old enough to recall the song)
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Apologies for the corny shots.......
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After getting bored taking pics of myself I then do the square root of f**k all for the rest of the day, which considering we have been at it all day, every day for five weeks, is about due. Early to bed. Got to be up at 0800 for the 25k bike ride planned for the morrow. I need to be up early to make my picnic. Marmite and lettuce sandwiches don't make themselves you know.
DAY 37 - Thursday 17 May
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Bike ride day, or not, as the case may be. Weather nice but changeable.
Enjoying a well earned rest and a bottle of wine in lovely surroundings before setting off again.
Woke at 10.00. Talk about a nice nights kip!
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Frankly, the thought of getting on my Norman Tebbit was the last thing I fancied. A day bumbling was much more attractive, and boy! - did I bumble around. Another whole day spent just relaxing. I know. I know. That is what everyone else does all holiday. I get that. It is just that Sara and I don't do that - we do stuff.
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So in true Sara/Brian form I was bored with bumbling by late afternoon - so roof down - engines on - up into the mountains. It has to be said that your average BMW 6 series is no match to a Land Rover Discovery, but if you keep it under 50 and watch for potholes it is amazing what it can do on Greek roads. Unmade tracks, no so much.
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Once again 2.5 hours driving in amazing mountain roads with NO cars. I visited the totally deserted Porto Katsiki beach. 20 k of approach road, all sweeping curves just willing R10FFN on, just about a C road, but when you get near the beach it goes down to one lane and hairpins every 50 yards, so obviously nobody goes there. Wrong. When I arrive there is parking for 300 cars and buses. The whole reason I am having FUN is because this is literally the start of the season. It must be a totally different world in just a few weeks. Who cares, I'm coming back on Monday just to swim alone on this amazing beach.
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Now tomorrow must be BIG CYCLE day.. The 25k up the mountain, picnic in my bike basket, must not fail day. See, without my partner I just put stuff off. If Sara were here we'd have done it today. At least I can console myself with the fact that I did not worry so much about the 'right kind of water'. I may even take our pet snorkel for a swim, just a training swim mark you. It has hardly even seen the water up too now.
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By the way, sorry all the photos are now of just me. Normally they feature Sara, but she is not here...... So its just me, me. me for a bit. "Bear with" as they say. (or is it 'bare with' - difficult one that. Do email me the correct answer).
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Pic below of my BMW 4WD off roader (and I washed it today as well!) Pic to right of massive and beautiful and totally deserted beach.
DAY 38 - Friday 18 May
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Bike riding day, 25k. Weather nice but changeable.
Up nice and early, make up a classic 1950's picnic of Marmite & Cheese sarnies, boiled eggs, fresh fruit, nuts, wine and beer. Load the lot into the basket on my 'sit up and beg' classic 1950's bike and rouse my classic 1950 manufactured body into the saddle.
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To say this area is made for slow and reflective bike rides along miles and miles of completely deserted narrow winding tracks through flower strewn meadows, bright green foliage and ancient olive groves, accompanied by dozens of butterflys, glimpsing occasional views over vast forest covered mountains- would be (1) most unlike me, way to poetic, and (2) totally true.
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Great day, 25k riding and my 1950's arse managed to survive the journey.
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Then off to the famous Barbecue at Wildwinds to join a bunch of sailors and windsurfers getting plastered and dancing to 1950's music played by a band of the same vintage. Quite a lot of 1950 stuff going on today!!
I came from far, far over on the left in the valley, up to the village of Syvras (circled), all the way round behind the hills on the right
and I now have to go another 5-6 miles back down to the coast. No wonder I was sweating!
O
DAY 39 - Saturday 19 May
Get over my hangover by doing the accounts of the trip so far. Weather nice but changeable.
Having enjoyed my evening with Keith a little to enthusiastically I sought shelter in doing the Grand Tour accounts at what is just past the midway point. When Sara went home on Wednesday that was five weeks travelling. I was amazed to discover that to that date we have spent an average of £270 a day. That includes literally everything. All travel, tolls, ferries and fuel. All our hotels, and we have not skimped I can assure you - Sara does not do skimping unless forced. All our food, and once again, with a couple of Michelin stars in the mix. we have not skimped there either. All our entertainment. such as our 40 foot yacht. Amazing really as we have driven 2,500 miles and been away over a month and our budget was £300 a day all in. We restart the money clock when Sara gets back and I have a feeling that there will be pressure from the Admin Team to spend the £1,100 surplus on 'something nice', probably somewhere nice, like Montenegro or Hvar. I feel another hotel suite coming on, maybe another meal where I need to put my suit on (yes, I brought a suit along, and yes, I did complain that Sara had too much luggage, but a man can never be over-dressed you know).
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Having been pleasantly surprised at our relatively modest costs to date I decided to save even more money by staying in all day and watching the Royal Wedding!!!
DAY 40 - Sunday 20 May
Weather nice but changeable.
It ended up one of those days where NOWT was the order of the day. I did nothing at all, all day long, and made a bloody good job of doing it if I may make so bold. My biggest exertion was to cook a massive plate of bacon and eggs.
DAY 41 - Monday 21 May
Weather finally as it is supposed to be - bloody sunny!
At last, cloudless blue skies, a lovely day. First things first, wash the car again. Here in Lefkada "every time it rains, it rains red dust from heaven". The car is basically encased in a red clay wrap. Then a nice hours drive to the main town because I had been told it has 'some nice shops'. It did, very nice shops. But as the car cannot take even a 'wafer thin mint' more by way of luggage, they are totally wasted on me. So - two pints of beer and a whole host of phone calls to piss off my friends later I drive back down the west coast of the island for a change. Stunning mountain roads again, lovely driving country. so much so it has to be worth a photo.
Then dinner with Keith and his friend Mike, who is the only person in Greece who has driven down through Albania. Round these parts any mention of driving through Albania is met with the same raised eyebrows and grunts of 'you'll be lucky' and 'don't expect to keep the car', so Mike was a breath of fresh air when he said he had done it and survived. Mind you even he did the 12 hour drive in one hit, so he wasn't too confident either. He worked on the principal that it takes some perseverance to steal a car that is doing 60 mph. He did mention being stopped by the police five times. Apparently they assume anyone driving a foreign plated car has recently stolen it in London and is delivering it forthwith to their gang leader in the next village. They are always mildly disappointed when you prove your are English by birth and in possession of the paperwork. We shall see.........
Real driving country, providing you vcan keep your eyes on the road and off the scenery.
DAY 42 - Tuesday 22 May
Weather lovely again.
Despite dining with Keith and Mike and the inevitable late night in the Tunnel Bar, I kept my drunken promise to Mike. He is the Paddle Board king of Vasiliki. He rules the waters from 8.00am to 10.00am when it is at it calmest and quietest.
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I rolled out of bed intending to make his 8.00am class and did actually finally make it to the 9.00am. Late, but I made it!!! And I am apparently a natural, so Mike said (he also said something under his breath which I did not catch). I put it all down to my first instructor, Sara. At least Mike did not laugh like a drain when I fell off, like my first instructor. Nor did he try and push me off, like my first instructor. The picture tells the triumphant story .........
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The caption is for my first instructor, I sent it to her at 8.00am UK time as she was recovering from a post dinner party hangover. The whole reason we came to Vasiliki was for Sara to paddle board, but as you know - 'wrong kind of water' prevented her even getting wet. I just wanted to show her I overcame that barrier!
Next challenge, to walk/ride up a brand new track carved into the hillside above the town. I get my boots on - walk outside - realise it is bloody hot and humid - give up - take it all off again - feel much better. Do nowt again, that is the joy of Greece,
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Final dinner with Keith before departing on the morrow.
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Then it is pack the car ready for an early start tomorrow to pick up my co driver from the airport and head north to the border crossing.
Albanian here we come...
